Silence on Reams is not right

It's been almost a month since Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams was stripped of his prosecutorial power and put on paid administrative leave and we still don't have any answers on what is going on.

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seacoastonline.com

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Posted Dec. 6, 2013 at 2:00 AM

Posted Dec. 6, 2013 at 2:00 AM

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It's been almost a month since Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams was stripped of his prosecutorial power and put on paid administrative leave and we still don't have any answers on what is going on.

All we know is from a brief Nov. 7 news conference, where it was announced that Reams, Deputy Attorney Tom Reid and a victim advocate were placed on paid administrative leave amidst a state and federal investigation into the "management and operations" within the county attorney's office.

The lack of information in this case involving an elected official is troubling. The public, who re-elected Reams in 2012 to his seventh two-year term, has a right to know the facts on why their electoral will is being overridden by state and federal officials.

While we want to believe the state and federal officials would not take this route unless absolutely necessary, the silence is making us begin to wonder. Three weeks after his suspension, with no charges filed, how are we supposed to know whether there is merit to the still unspecified allegations or whether this is a political witch hunt? Beyond the county attorney being an elected official, the fact that the investigation involves Rockingham County's top law enforcement officer is cause for even further scrutiny.

Reams recently broke his silence in an interview with the Union Leader, saying he plans to continue fighting the legality of his ouster. He also said the state attorney general's office asked him to resign, adding the lack of due process "has been stunning considering it's the Department of Justice."

If Reams is accused of committing a crime, he has to be charged and the investigation cannot go on indefinitely without charges being filed.